Mechanism for feeding screw eyes



April 29, 1930. V A. M OHAN 3 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SCREW EYES- Filed July 26. 1928 W the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITE STATES ARAKEL M. OHAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO PARKER WIRE GOODS COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CH'USETTS Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to a mechanism for collecting and feeding screw-eyes and is particularly designed to operate in conjunction with a threading machine but may be used in assembling and feeding screw-eyes for any desired purpose.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved and simplified mechanism for picking up screw-eyes on a supporting wire or rod and for maintaining the rod in a definite position as the screw-eyes slide down the rod by gravity to a delivery position.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved collecting and feeding mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along Referring to the drawings, I have shown my improved feeding mechanism supported on a frame 10 and comprising a hopper 11 rotatably mounted in a bearing 12 formed on a bracket 13'clamped on a support 14 secured to the frame 10. belt 16 from any suitable source of power (not shown) and is connected by bevel gears 17 to rotate the hopper 11.

The bottom of the hopper 11 is inclined outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the outer wall of the hopper is formed of V- shaped section and has an inwardly projecting upper flange 18 to prevent escape of the screw-eyes from the rotating hopper.

A pipe 20 is secured in an inclined position by supporting members 21 and 22 and is provided with a slot 23 in its under side for a purpose to be described.

A rod or wire extends through the slotted pipe 20 and its upper end projects over the edge of the hopper 11 and extends around the interior of the hopper adjacent the periphery thereof, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The rod 30 is bent at its upper end to a sub- A pulley 15 is rotated by a MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SCREW EYES.

1928. Serial No. 295,561.

stantially circular form, for this purpose, the pointed end being left free.

The hopper rotates in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 2, and the pointed end of the wire 30 projects into the path of the screweyes as they are carried around by the rotating hopper A fixed baffle plate or guide 32 may be provided for presenting the screwe es substantially in the path of the end of the wire 30.

The lower end of the wire 30 extends to a delivery point adjacent threading mechanism indicated generally by the letter T and forming no part of my present invention. The movable threading die 84 is reciprocated by a connecting rod 35 actuated by a crank-pin 36 in a continuously rotating disc 37.

Having described the construction of my collecting and feeding mechanism, the operation thereof will be readily apparent. The screw-eyes are carried around by the rapidly rotating hopper 11 and are forced to the outer portion of the hopper by the baffle plate 32 as well as by centrifugal force.

As they approach the point of the rod 30, a certain number of the screw-eyes S will have their openings aligned with the rod and will be picked up thereby, each screw-eye being carried along on the wire by the stream of rotating screw-eyes and also by additional adjacent screw-eyes as they are picked up on the rod 30. r

The assembled screw-eyes S gradually work their way over the edge of the hopper and then slide downward along the rod 30 to delivery position. As they slide downward, the depending points of the screw-eyes S project through the slot 23 as indicated in Fig. 3.

The circular upper portion of the rod 30 is of such shape and diameter that the point of the rod is raised slightly away from the surface of the rotating hopper, but the diameter of the circle is greater than the inner opening throughthe flange 18, so that the rod cannot he accidentally displaced from the hopper.

The rod 30 is thus positioned laterally by the slotted pipe 20 and is positioned longitudinally by the circular upper end of the rod,

confined loosely in the hopper 11. The lower...

end of the rod may rest lightly on a supporting surface or way or may project freely peripheral and bottom surfaces of said hopfrom the slotted pipe 20. 7

I have thus provided an exceedingly simple construction by which screw-eyes may be collected and fed in uniform position'to a threading mechanism or for any other desired purpose. 7

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. A mechanism for feeding screw-eyes comprising a rotating hopper, an assembling rod projecting therein and loosely held thereby, and in the path of the screw eyes and a fixed guide member 'for said rod having provision permitting passage of the points of the screw-eyes, said screw-eyes being slidable from end to end of said rod.

'2. A mechanism for feeding screw-eyes comprising a rotating hopper, an assembling rod projecting therein and loosely held thereby, and in the path of the screw eyes and an inclined tubular guidemember for said rod,

slotted along its lower side to permit passage of the points of the screw-eyes.

3. A mechanism for feeding screw-eyes comprising a rotating hopper, an assembling rod having a substantially circular portionv with a free end and projecting therein and loosely held thereby, and an inclined tubular lar form with its end free and said portion be ing loosely centered by the peripheral wall of said hopper, thereby to locate said free end in the path of the screw eyes. 1

per.

fixed my signature.

5. A mechanism for feeding screwgeyes comprising an inclined slotted guide, an assembling member for the screw-eyes loosely mounted in said slotted guide, and means comprising a portion of the member projecting in the path of the screw eyes to assemble screw-eyes on said assembling member with said member extending through the openings in said screw-eyes and with the points of the screw-eyes received in the opening of said slotted guide.

6. A mechanism for feeding screw-eyes comprising a rotatable hopper, and an as and having a pointed end directed toward the rotating screw-eyes and spaced from the In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- ARAKEL M. OHAN. 

